Typical image projection or display systems include one or more light sources, illumination elements, one or more spatial light modulators, and projection elements. Light sources may include any suitable light source, such as, for example, a metal halide lamp, a xenon arc lamp, a light emitter diode (LED), a laser, etc. The illumination elements collect light from the light sources and direct the light onto the spatial light modulators, the spatial light modulators use the light to create images, and the projection elements magnify and project the images. The brightness of the image affects the quality of the image. To improve brightness, it is important to minimize any loss of light between the light source and the spatial light modulator and to maximize the amount of surface area of the spatial light modulator that the light illuminates.
Spatial light modulators represent devices that may be used in a variety of optical communication and/or video display systems. In some applications, spatial light modulators may generate an image by controlling a plurality of individual elements that control light to form the various pixels of the image. One example of a spatial light modulator is a deformable micromirror device (“DMD”), sometimes known as a digital micromirror device.